Sarah and Jim

Welcome to the London wedding of Sarah and Jim. A fun, stylish celebration with a tropical, botanical vibe. Here’s the story of their day, with photos by Ben Selway.

The ceremony took place in the Orangery, Holland Park in London. “…We wanted to get married in London, as we’ve lived there for 7 years, and grew up close by. Neither of us are religious, so found a venue which felt modern, light and airy, but under cover. The Orangery is surrounded by beautiful grounds, wild peacocks and stunning flowers…”

Jo Clayton was the hair and make up artist that Sarah chose, as she was recommended by a friend “She was a wonderful, calming presence on the morning, and was incredibly professional…”

The green bridesmaids’ dresses were from David’s bridal, and the bridesmaids’ speech “..brought the house down with laughter..What’s the saying – you’re my best friend ecause you know too much…”

The flowers were the work of Palais flowers, who a favourite of Sarah’s : “…their arrangements made me beam as I saw them for the first time coming down the aisle, and I was just in love with my bouquet…”

Sarah’s dad walked her down the aisle to “God only Knows” by the Beach Boys.

The couple wrote their own vows to make the service as personal as possible and give it a modern feel, and Sarah’s brother read “How Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog”.

“…The ceremony was lovely, the sense of anticipation, and sort of surprise of seeing everyone we love in one room, with all the flowers and decor set up for the first time – seeing it all come together…”

The couple wanted a reception venue which was fun and relaxed, and chose The Alice House Pub, which had a modern edge, lovely staff, fabulous food and the perfect location for a party. Cooks and Partners made the ceremony canapés, and the pub provided a three course dinner made up of sharing platters which everyone loved.

For decorations, Sarah and Jim created tropical giant clear bubble balloons, with ivy stems and tropical leaves inside. The couple hired a neon sign saying “And so it begins”, from Bag and Bones.

The wedding cake was made by Hannah Dome, Sarah’s cousin. “..it was a delicious naked Victoria sponge, decorated with fruit and surrounded by our grandparents’ wedding photos…”

The couple chose Ben Selway as their photographer. “…we met Ben when he did the photography for our friends’ wedding. He was such a friendly presence at their day and we really warmed to him. When we saw their photos, we were sold. He’s a great photographer, and captured the laid back, and non-pretentious style we wanted…he made everyone feel so comfortable and it was like having another friend at the wedding…”

THE DRESS

When Sarah came to see us, she had already been to 9 wedding dress shops and not found “the dress”. She had an idea of what she wanted, but couldn’t find it anywhere.

“…then my friend messaged me a link on instagram to Caroline Arthur Bridal – a dressmaker with a “Design your own dress” section on her website. I gave it a go…”

Sarah then came to see us and we mocked up her design – she was looking for a one-shouldered Grecian themed dress, with a tulle shoulder section, which fell to the floor at the back instead of a veil.

“..I didn’t like lace, and wanted a plain, smooth skirt for the dress. And that’s exactly what Caroline made me. I’m so glad I booked with her, as she went above and beyond at every point and made me feel special with every appointment…”

Sarah has kindly written a series of “how it works” blogs in her own words, describing her journey with us, from first discovering us on instagram, through the design and fitting stages, all the way to her final collection. First in the series coming next week! xx